Linton-HMB downs Strasburg-Zeeland for third place in Region 3 Tournament

Linton-HMB defeated Strasburg-Zeeland, 54-46, to claim third place in the Region 3 Tournament. The Lions finished the season with an 18-6 record. team members were back row, left to right, assistant coach Kyle Carr, Head Coach Dan Carr, Andrew Small, Austin Bernhardt, Mason Ryckman, Ryan Schneider, James Schmaltz, assistant coach Dustin Sailer and assistant coach Alex Jangula; middle row, Meg Vander Laan (book), Sarah Vetter (stat.), McKenzie Kramer (stat.), Cole Vander Laan, Brooks Flyberg, Tyler Humann, Travis Baumiller, Jon Purintun, Erik Holzer and Jack Sannes (water boy); front row, Carter Renz (water boy), Jordan Towne (video), Will Sannes, Jayden Benz, Chase Schiele, Tanner Sehn, Jordan Hulm, Easton Jangula (mascot), Jared Baumiller and John Beck (student manager). Linton-HMB salvaged third place in the Region 3 Tournament by downing Strasburg-Zeeland, 54-46, in Jamestown on Feb. 28. The Lions finished the season with an 18-6 record, while Strasburg-Zeeland ended the season with a 20-4 mark. It was the fourth meeting of the season between the county rivals, with each team winning twice.

The Strasburg-Zeeland Clippers placed 4th in the Region 3 Tournament in Jamestown, and finished the year with a 20-4 record. team members included back row, left to right, assistant coach Mark Baumgartner, Jon Stabler, Cole Nieuwsma, Scotti Scherr, Kyle Nieuwsma, Mason Kramer and Nic Kramer; front row, Brody Nieuwsma, Jordan Nieuwsma, Kendall Scherr, Logan Kramer and Seth Aberle. Missing from the photo are Darek Keller and Head Coach Brent Kleinsasser. Strasburg-Zeeland’s only lead of the first half came at 3-2 after Darek Keller dropped in a three-pointer at the 5:10 mark of the opening period. Linton-HMB went on a 12-4 run after that, and Tyler Humann’s three-pointer extended the Lion’s lead to 14-7 with 1:23 left in the period, but Keller answered with another triple, and Cole Nieuwsma added a late basket for Strasburg-Zeeland to cut the lead to 14-12 at the end of the period.

Strasburg-Zeeland’s Cole Nieuwsma (left) puts a jumper over Linton-HMB’s Mason Ryckman (35). Turnovers plagued Strasburg-Zeeland in the second quarter, and the Clippers scored just 2 points over the first 5:58 of the period. Meanwhile, Linton-HMB opened the period with an 8-2 run, and Travis Baumiller’s free throw gave the Lions their biggest lead (22-14) of the half with 2:22 left in the frame. However, Mason Kramer converted a threepoint play with just over 2:00 left to start a 10-4 run by Strasburg-Zeeland, and Scotti Scherr’s three-pointer in the closing seconds of the frame cut the lead to 26-24 at the break.

Both teams hit 9 field goals with 3 three-pointers in the first half, but Linton-HMB hit 5 of 8 free throws, while Strasburg-Zeeland went 3 for 3 from the line in the half. Both teams collected 16 rebounds and committed 7 turnovers apiece in the half. Ryan Schneider scored 10 points for Linton-HMB to lead all scorers in the first half.

Linton-HMB’s Travis Baumiller (3) knocks down a three-pointer against Strasburg-Zeeland. A pair of baskets by Jon Stabler on consecutive trips to start the second half gave Strasburg-Zeeland a 28-26 lead, but that would be the final lead of the night for the Clippers, who misfired on their next 11 field goal attempts. Baskets by Mason Ryckman and Schneider put Linton-HMB back on top for good, and after Cole Nieuwsma hit a free throw for Strasburg-Zeeland, Tyler Humann knocked down a three-pointer, and added a basket off a steal to give the Lions a 35-29 advantage.

The game was delayed midway through the third quarter so medical personnel could tend to Strasburg- Zeeland’s Darek Keller, who suffered from breathing complications due to a chest injury he suffered last summer. Keller was taken by ambulance and accompanied by Clipper Head Coach Brent Kleinsasser to a Jamestown hospital, where he was treated and released.

Strasburg-Zeeland’s Kyle Nieuwsma (2) squeezes a shot past Linton-HMB defenders Brooks Flyberg (15) and Ryan Schneider (41) during the Region 3 Tournament Third Place game. When play resumed, Ryckman hit a jumper to cap an 11-1 run, which extended Linton-HMB’s lead to 37-29 with 3:41 left, but the Lions went scoreless over the rest of the period, and Kramer hit a three-pointer in the waning seconds of the frame to cut the lead to 37-32 with one quarter left. A free throw by Cole Nieuwsma cut the margin to 37-33, but that would be as close as the Clippers would get the rest of the way.

Linton-HMB built an 8-point (45-37) lead on Schneider’s jumper with 4:15 left, but Strasburg-Zeeland stayed close, and Kramer’s basket trimmed the deficit in half (47-43) with 2:00 left. However, Ryckman put in a jumper off an offensive rebound by Schneider on the Lion’s next trip, and Linton-HMB followed a pair of Clipper misfires by hitting 3 of 4 free throws to make it a 3-possession (52- 43) lead with :41 left. Brody Nieuwsma answered with a three-pointer on the other end, but Brooks Flyberg put in two free throws to seal up the victory with just :09 left.

L-HMB’s Ryan Schneider (41) had 16 points and 12 rebounds against Strasburg-Zeeland in the Region 3 3rd Place game. Linton-HMB shot just 37 percent (18 of 49) from the field, including just 25 percent (4 of 16) from behind the arc, but the Lions sank 14 of 21 (67%) free throws, including 9 of 13 in the final period. Linton-HMB held a 38-35 advantage in rebounds, while committing 9 turnovers. Strasburg-Zeeland hit on just 18 of 51 (35%) field goals, including just 9 of 30 (30%) in the second half, and 5 of 23 (22%) on three-pointers. The Clippers made 5 of 7 free throws and turned the ball over a dozen times in the game.

Jon Stabler (5) of Strasburg Zeeland puts in a field goal against Linton-HMB. Schneider finished with game-highs in points (16) and rebounds (12), and also picked up a pair of steals, while Humann hit a pair of 3-pointers and tallied 14 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists and a game-high 4 steals for Linton-HMB. Flyberg netted 9 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists, Ryckman tallied 8 points and 6 rebounds, and Baumiller chipped in 4 points, 3 rebounds and 4 assists for the Lions.